I don’t usually share personal stuff, but for this I would like to make an exception. There’s a story I tell people about how I first began my journey into the world of creativity and I tell it because it’s a true story. When I was very young, I was scolded by my teachers and father for drawing in my school exercise books. My mother, in her wisdom, took me to a department store called Kirpalanies, and bought me a sketch pad, a set of water colors and a Flintstones coloring book. She instructed me that when I felt like drawing, that I should use these instead of my schoolbooks. This was the beginning of my creative life, and it was these actions that are responsible for me being a creator today.
My mother, my sister and me. Many years ago. That’s me on the left.
Over the years, my mother has continually supported me in all my endeavors. Today my mother continues to support me in any way that she can.
The other day I was looking at a picture of Okira and had an idea about the belt chain that hangs around her waist. I thought to myself. “I wonder if we made a something based on that, if people would like it.
Okira. The main character from the graphic novel Celflux. Her belt chain was the basis of the bag my mother created.
I started thinking about something like a handbag, or purse. I went to my wife and she thought it would be a cool idea and then suggested that I talk to my mother about it as she might be the perfect person to look at it. My mother is a seamstress by profession, and was responsible for sewing all my school uniforms when I went to school. She also sews children’s clothing as well as all my sisters outfits.
One of the toddler outfits that my mother created.
To see more of her children’s outfits, you can visit my sister’s website. ImageFingerptint.org Children’s Clothing.
My sister Anderson McBain of Imagefingerprint.or, wearing one of my mother’s creations.
She had read Celflux issue no.1 the print version, so she was very familiar with Okira and her outfit. She jumped at the idea of making a handbag based on Okira’s belt chain, because she’d never done anything like that before and in her words “She loves a challenge.” So she and my sister went on the hunt for materials and she started cutting patterns and working on the construction of the bag. This is just something based on a comic book character, but she took it very seriously and went all out.
My sister sent me an email with some images of the progress and I thought I would share it.
If enough people show an interest we’ll try to find a way to make these bags that my mother created available perhaps as gifts to Celflux fans. We’ll see how it goes.
I’m grateful to God for always having strong, benevolent women in my life. My wife being the strongest of them all. No wonder I created Okira which is an absolute reflection of those women. I just want to pay tribute to a mother who has always been a support and to all the strong, benevolent women out there who are out backbone. That support is more important than a lot of us realize.
My wife Dixie Ann, my mother Elizabeth, and me on our wedding day. My mother sewed our outfits.
Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.